Welcome, John! Let’s start with your childhood, what were some of the pivotal moments that led you to pursue a music career?
My first pivotal moment was definitely taking piano lessons. I started when I was four, so it’s definitely one of my earliest core memories. When I got a little bit older, and started to develop my own music tastes, I fell in love with the pop music around me at the time (Lady GaGa, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry). At this point, I was always sitting at the piano and instead of just playlist classical pieces from 200 years ago, I found myself starting to noodle away and make my own melodies. It was definitely at this moment that I knew I wanted to be a songwriter.
Where do you usually find inspiration for your music? Does it come from personal experiences, stories, or something else?
Most of my writing comes from personal experiences. I write a lot about my love and everything that goes with it. I’m a pretty emotional person, so I find it pretty easy to pull from my honest experiences about infatuation and also about heartbreak.
Throughout your career, what has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced, and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge I’ve faced is one that I’m still facing. It’s growing that fanbase and getting people to know who you are. I’ve never been on a huge playlist, I haven’t gone viral on tiktok, I don’t have a label backing, I don’t have a manager, I’m doing it all myself right now and it’s really challenging. I’m hoping something snaps into place soon because I’ve worked super hard to get where I am and I can’t wait for the world to find out who I am.
‘Months and Months’ is your latest single. Can you share the story behind its creation and what inspired you to write it?
I wrote this song about a recent heartbreak that I went through. The relationship was definitely on the decline for a while and eventually, I just had to end it. It definitely wasn’t the healthiest relationship, but I was still pretty sad when it ended. Time when on and just when I was finally moving on, my ex reached out and I got the sense that he was trying to get into my life. It was such a weird and uncomfortable feeling because while I missed (the idea) of him, I knew it would be a mistake to let him back into my life. That’s the thesis statement behind the entire song… “been months and months since I’ve seen you, let’s keep it that way”.
What was the recording process like for ‘Months and Months’? Were there any unique challenges or memorable moments?
The recording process was super amazing. I was lucky enough to work with this amazing vocal engineer, David “DQ” Quiñones at his home studio in Nashville. He definitely pulled an amazing, emotional performance out of me. The most challenging part is the very beginning of the final chorus. I sing an adlib on “you’d fight to COME back” that’s really vocally demanding.
How do you think your music has evolved since your debut? In what ways does ‘Months and Months’ reflect this evolution?
I think my lyricism has gotten better over time. I’ve always prided myself on being a strong melodic writing and really good at creating catchy hooks. I wanted to up my lyrics to match that, so I’ve been journaling daily and challenging myself to write lyrics, and the story narrative, before the melody these days. I think “Months and Months” definitely shows a step forward in my ability to set a good story.
Of all the songs you’ve created, do you have a personal favorite, or one that holds special meaning to you?
There’s one that I wrote recently called “The Man I Made”. I just finished recording it last month, but it’s this super sad power ballad about feeling like you really built someone up during a relationship, only to watch them break your heart and go off to be with someone else. I wanna put it out sometime next year, it’s so good and super a gut-wrenching song.
Apart from music, what are some of your hobbies or interests that your fans might not know about?
I’m really into visual art and photography. I’m certainly not great at either of them, but I really like to just draw. It’s a good, creative way to express myself without feeling like I need to write a hit song or create an incredible beat. I have this polaroid camera that I like to take with me everywhere. There’s something special about capturing a moment on a physical piece of film.
Looking back, is there a piece of advice you wish you had received when you started your music career?
I wish I hadn’t been so hard on myself! I’m definitely a hyper-focused perfectionist and it’s definitely been debilitating. I’d say to myself “oh, you’re still not good enough to write with this songwriter” or “you need to practice way more before you can book that gig”. I’m happy that I’ve grown my confidence and can say “there’s always room to grow and improve” without denying myself anything in the moment.
How do you want to be remembered in the music industry? What impact do you hope your music has on your listeners?
I really hope that I can get to a place where I play arenas one day. I want to be known for being a really great songwriter and a legendary performer.
